Dispenser mechanism for coin operated machines and the like



July 15, 1969 MARTTl 3,455,426

DISPENSER M HANISM FOR COIN OPERATED EC AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA KE July 15, 1969 MARTTI v DISPENSER MECHANISM FOR COIN OPERATED MACHINES AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 22, 1967 InIEA FIG.2

FIG. 5

United States Patent.

66 Int. Cl. G07f 1/00, 11/24, 3/04 U.S. Cl. 19423 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A prize dispenser mechanism for coin operatedmachines. The dispenser mechanism is designed to be placed behind the coin panel in order that the machine can be made more compact. The prize dispenser can portion out a large number of coins and has means for regulating the exact number of coins so portioned.

This invention relates to a dispenser mechanism for coin operated machines or the like, which is intended to co-operate with a store of coins for the portioning out of a certain number of coins from the store when a coin is fed into the dispenser mechanism.

In this invention the expression coin operated machine does not refer to so called pay-out machines alone, but it refers generally to all types of machines that work with different metal coins or counters or other round or spherical objects as coins and portion out a certain number of such coins through the effect of a coin being fed into the machine. In the following the invention will, however, for the sake of cleamess be described in connection with payout machines, in which the coins is shot into a coin panel and the player either gets a prize or loses his money depending on the way the coin passes. When the coin passes into a pay-out slot it is led onto the blocking device of a prize dispenser mechanism, whereby the coin releases the blocking device by its weight and kinetic energy so that the mechanism portions out a certain number of coins stores in the coin panel for the pay-out of the prizes. If the coin does not pass into the pay-out slots it falls into said store of coins in the coin panel, which comprises a number of essentially vertical rows of coins. It the coin rows are full the coin passes to a cashbox.

In prior playing machines of this type a substantial part of the prize dispenser mechanism must because of its construction be placed on the front side of the coin panel or in other words on the same side and in level with the coin rows of the coin store and immediately below the coins. The main disadvantage connected with this construction is that it takes up space in the coin panel, wherefore the pay-out machine must be made bigger in order to allow for a sufficient number of prize coins in spite of the prize dispenser mechanism. Moreover the rows of coins in the coin panel must pass around their prize dispenser mechanism positioned below the coins, which makes the guide bars guiding the coins in the panel more complicated and expensive. The greatest number of coins given out by present prize dispenser mechanism at one release is four, wherefore several mechanisms must be employed for greater pay-outs (numbers of coins). The fitting of the blocking devices in the mechanisms is very exact and so the costs of production are high and the mechanisms are very easily damaged by wear.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a new type of prize dispenser mechanism, which elimiice nates the disadvantages so far connected with known mechanisms, and the mechanism according to the invention is mainly characterized by the fact that it comprises a blocking tooth rim which is rotatably mounted on an axle, a release lever which is in engagement with the blocking tooth rim and is released from the rim through the effect of a coin, a displacing tooth rim, which is connected to the blocking tooth rim, and further a dispenser lever which is provided with a stopping pin and a resetting pin which alternately project into the path of movement of coins in the coin store, so that when the release lever is released through the effect of the inserted coin from its engagement with the blocking tooth rim the stopping pin rotates the displacing tooth rim by one pitch by means of the dispenser lever through the eifect of the coins to be portioned out thus portioning out one coin from the store of coins, whereafter the resetting pin by means of this coin rotates the dispenser lever with its stopping pin into its initial position displaced by one pitch with respect to the displacing tooth rim, whereby the oscillation of the dispenser lever is repeated so many times that the displacing tooth rim and the blocking tooth rim connected thereto have rotated by one pitch of said blocking tooth rim.

According to the invention a prize dispenser mechanism is obtained, which may be placed completely behind the coin panel excepting the stopping pin and the resetting pin, which project through the coin panel to the front side. Since the diameter of the pins is only 1-3 mm., the mechanism according to the invention will not in practice take up any room on the front side of the coin panel. The rows of coins in the coin store may thus be placed close together in the most practical manner and the guide bars for the coins can be made straight, so that the construction as far as the coin panel is concerned becomes smaller in size and less expensive. The prize dispenser mechanism can be set to portion out even twenty coins at one release and the mechanism can be adjusted to portion out exactly the desired number of coins per release simply by removing a corresponding number of teeth from the blocking tooth rim, where every pitch between the teeth corresponds to one coin. The parts of the mechanism do not require any exceptional precision work and they can be produced for instance of plastic using machines for series production. The possibility to set the amounts of the prizes within a wider range makes the pay-out machine more tempting to the player.

The invention is described more closely below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 shows the coin panel of a pay-out machine in a front view; the coin panel is provided with prize dispenser mechanisms according to the invention,

FIGURE 2 shows a suitable embodiment of the prize dispenser mechanism according to the invention in a front view and in a larger scale,

FIGURE 3 shows the prize dispenser mechanism from behind,

FIGURE 4 shows a cross section of the prize dispenser mechanism along line 44 in FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 5 shows a cross section of the prize dispenser mechanism along line 55 in FIGURE 4,

FIGURE 6 shows a cross section of the prize dispenser I mechanism along line 6-6 in FIGURE 4, and

FIGURE 7 shows a programming wheel according to another embodiment of the prize dispenser mechanism.

The construction of the pay-out machine visualized in FIGURE 1 of the drawings is known per se. It comprises an essentially vertical coin panel 1, which is provided with several guide bars 2 to form rows of coins R, which make up the store of coins for the prizes. The lower end of each row of coins has been provided with a prize dispenser mechanism 3, which is released, when a coin is shot into the coin panel and falls through a pay-out slot 4 behind the coin panel, and portions out a certain number of coins from the row of coins in question.

The prize dispenser mechanism comprises a front plate 5 and a back plate 6, between which the mechanism is assembled. The front plate is intended to be fastened to the coin panel 1. On a main axle 7 between the front plate and the back plate there is mounted a programming wheel 8, which on the side facing the front plate has been provided with an inner rim 9 comprising displacing teeth and an outer rim 10 comprising ratchet teeth, both rims being coaxial with the main axle 7. That side of the programming wheel which faces'the back plate has been provided with an outer rim 11 comprising blocking teeth and an inner rim 12 comprising guiding teeth, both rims being coaxial with the main axle 7.

Parallel with the main axle but at a certain distance therefrom there is rotatingly mounted to the back plate a two armed release lever 13, one arm 14 of which is provided with a blocking pin 15 projecting through an opening 16 in the back plate into the rim 11 of the blocking teeth in such a manner that when the release lever 13 is in its normal position as indicated in FIGURE 3 the blocking pin 15 is in engagement with the rim 11 of the blocking teeth, but when the lever according to FIGU1\E 3 is turned anticlockwise the blocking pin 15 is released from this engagement. When the prize dispenser mechanism has been fitted into place the other arm 17 of the release lever is supposed to project into the path of movement of a coin which passes through the corresponding pay-out slot 4 and falls behind the coin panel towards the release lever 13.

On the main axle 7 there is further mounted a twoarmed dispenser lever 18 under the front plate 5. One arm 19 of the lever is on the side facing the programming wheel provided with a ball housing 20 (there are two ball housings in the drawing to ensure the operation) which extends downwards to the displacing tooth rim 9. Balls 21 in the ball housings strive to get in between the displacing teeth by means of a light spring in each housing. The opposite side of this arm 19 of the dispenser lever 18 is provided with a resetting pin 23 which projects through an opening 22 in the front plate, and the other arm 24 is provided with a stopping pin 26 which projects through an opening 25 in the front plate. As may be seen from FIGURES 1 and 2 the stopping pin 26 and the resetting pin 23 are positioned in such a manner in relation to the bars 2 that when the dispenser lever oscillates around the main axle 7 the pins alternately move into and away from the row of coins between the bars.

Coaxially with the main axle 7 there is also an axle 27 connected to the front plate outside the rim 10 of ratchet teeth, and on this axle 27 there is mounted a ratchet 28 which is in engagement with the ratchet teeth.

The prize dispenser mechanism operates in the following manner; The coins in the vertical rows of the coin panel' press the stopping pin 26 in the direction of the arrow A (FIGURE 2), whereby the stopping pin strives to rotate the dispenser lever 18, which in turn by means of the engagement of the balls 21 in the ball housings with the displacing tooth rim 9 in the programming wheel 8 strive to turn the programming wheel in the direction of the arrow B (FIGURE 6). The blocking pin 15 of the release lever 13 is, however, in engagement with the blocking tooth rim 11 in the programming wheel, and thus the programming wheel is prevented from rotating. Therefore the stopping pin 26 cannot move either, and the row of coins is unmoved.

When the coin which has been shot into the coin pan el passes into the pay-out slot 4, it falls down behind the coin panel and hits the arm 17 of the release lever 13 rotating the lever in the direction of the arrow C (FIG- URE 3), The blocking pin 15 is then released from its engagement with the blocking tootn rim 11 and the pin 15 is then displaced against the guiding tooth rim 12. Consequently the programming wheel 8 is released to rotate in the direction of the arrow B (FIGURE 6) forced by the stopping pin 26, as has been mentioned above, whereby the stopping pin moves in the direction of the arrow A out of the way of the row of coins. The motion of the stopping pin 26 has then been adjusted to correspond to the rotation of the programming wheel 8 by one pitch of the displacing tooth rim 9 the ratchet tooth rim 10 and the blocking tooth rim 11.

At the same time as the stopping pin 26 has in the above manner turned the programming wheel by one pitch in the direction of the arrow B (FIGURE 6) the guiding tooth rim 12 has returned the blocking pin 15 of the release lever into engagement with the following tooth of the blocking tooth rim 11 and the ratchet 28 has flapped down behind the following tooth in the ratchet tooth rim 10.

When a coin is released from the row of coins and falls down past the withdrawn stopping pin 26 it hits the resetting pin 23 (FIGURE 1, coin R), which owing to the turning of the dispenser lever 18 has now been displaced into the path of movement of the coin. The coin presses the resetting pin 23 out of its way into its initial position, at which the resetting pin rotates the dispenser lever 18 clockwise in FIGURE 2, so that the stopping pin 26 again returns into its stopping position beneath the row of coins.

Since the ratchet 28 prevents the programming wheel 8 from rotating in the opposite direction to the arrow B (FIGURE 6) when the dispenser lever 18 is rotated back through the effect of the resetting pin 23, the balls 21 in the ball housings of the dispenser lever roll along the rim 9 of displacing teeth in the direction of the arrow D (FIGURE 6) falling down behind the following displacing tooth.

Owing to the fact that the blocking pin 15 of the release lever according to the above has again come into engagement with the blocking tooth rim 11 the stopping pin 26 is prevented from rotating the programming wheel anew through the effect of the weight of the row of coins, and so the stopping pin remains in the position according to FIGURE 2 blocking the row of coins. The prize dispenser mechanism shown in FIGURES 1-6 refers to that type of construction, in which the pitch angle of the blocking tooth rim 11 is the same as the pitch angle of the displacing tooth rim 9 or in other words one release allows the programming wheel to turn by only one pitch of the displacing tooth rim and thus to portion out only one coin from the line of coins.

If the pitch angle of the blocking tooth rim 11 is a multiple of the pitch angle of the displacing tooth rim 9 by a whole number, for instance three, this means that there is only one tooth on the blocking tooth rim 11 for every three teeth on the displacing tooth rim 9. In other words the programming wheel is allowed to rotate in the direction of the arrow B through the effect of the dispenser lever 18 by an angle equalling three displacing teeth before the blocking pin 15 of the release lever comes into engagement with the following blocking tooth. Thus the stopping pin 26 effects its oscillating motion described above three times in a succession and releases three coins from the row of coins. It must be observed that the programming wheel can be adjusted to portion out varying numbers of coins simply by removing a corresponding number of teeth from the blocking tooth rim 11. A programming wheel which portions out three coins per release is shown in FIGURE 7.

The drawings and the specification pertaining thereto are only intended to visualize the invention. Thus it is possible and in some cases even preferable to use two separate wheels instead of one integral programming wheel, and then the blocking tooth rim and the guiding tooth rim are provided on one wheel and the displacing tooth wheel and the ratchet tooth wheel on the other wheel. Both wheels may be mounted-on the same main axle, one on top of the other and connected to each other by suitable means, which make it possible to set the wheels at different angles to each other. Alternatively the two wheels may be mounted side by side at the same level and on different parallel axles so that their outer peripheries are in engagement with each other.

I claim:

1. A dispenser mechanism for coin operated machines or the like, which is intended to co-operate with a store of coins for the portioning out of a certain number of coins from the store when a coin is fed into the dispenser mechanism, characterized in that it comprises a blocking tooth rim which is rotatably mounted on an axle, a release lever which is in engagement with the blocking tooth rim and is released from the rim through the effect of a coin, a displacing tooth rim, which is connected to the blocking tooth rim and further a dispenser lever which is provided with a stopping pin and a resetting pin, which alternately project into the path of movement of coins in the coin store so that when the release lever is released through the effect of the inserted coin from its engagement with the blocking tooth rim the stopping pin rotates the displacing tooth rim by one pitch by means of the dispenser lever through the effect of the coins to be portioned out thus portioning out one coin from the store of coins, whereafter the resetting pin by means of this coin rotates the dispenser lever with its stopping pin into its initial position displaced by one pitch with respect to the displacing tooth rim, whereby the oscillation of the dispenser lever is repeated so many times that the displacing tooth rim and the blocking tooth rim connected thereto have rotated by one pitch of said blocking tooth rim.

2. A dispenser mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the pitch angle of the blocking tooth rim is equal to or a multiple by a whole number of the pitch angle of the displacing tooth rim.

3. A prize dispenser mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the blocking tooth rim and the displacing tooth rim are formed on one and the same wheel.

4. A prize dispenser mechanism according'to claim 3, characterized in that the wheel which is provided with the displacing tooth rim is also provided with ratchet teeth to prevent therotation of the displacing tooth rim when the resetting pin turns the dispenser lever.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 539,752 5/1395 Gale 221295 653,847 7/1900 Ricketts 19422 2,489,577 11/1949 Henry l9418 X 2,651,851 9/1953 Valpey 221-301 Y FOREIGN PATENTS 137,048 2/ 1930 Switzerland.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner 

